"You Were Robbed" features artists and bands that should have gotten much more recognition and fame than they did. Check them out now...better late than never!
Hoodoo Gurus “Blow Your Cool”
There are any number of albums in the extensive Hoodoo Gurus discography that I could pick as a demonstration of how this Australian band was robbed. But after a fun afternoon of revisiting their catalogue, followed by very careful deliberation, I have to go with 1987’s “Blow Your Cool” to be the biggest head scratcher - why this record didn’t catapult the band to superstardom in the States is the eighth wonder of the world.
The band released two albums prior to “Blow Your Cool”, which were well received at college radio and started earning the guys a rabid following. The debut and sophomore effort, 1984’s “Stoneage Romeos” and 1985’s “Mars Needs Guitars!” are now classics in garage pop rock, but were probably a bit too eclectic for mainstream listeners at the time. But flash forward to 1987 and we hear the band like we’ve never heard them before – slick, polished, and full of radio-friendly hooks. Just give a listen to the kickoff tracks “Out That Door” and “What’s My Scene”:
Can you imagine anything more tasty for late 80s rock radio? How about a duet their touring partners, The Bangles, one of the hottest groups around at the time? But not even that harmonious pairing in “Good Times” could ignite DJs.
The band shared a new dimension of their talent with fans on this record, too, in their first real – and most amazing – ballad, “I Was The One”, featuring some rip-roaring sax that was ubiquitous in the 80s.
The Hoodoo Gurus should have had success in excess of their INXS brethren. If you like “Blow Your Cool”, there is plenty more where that came from, including a new best of collection coming in March entitled, "Gold Watch: 20 Golden Greats".
Learn more about the Hoodoo Gurus here.
1 comment:
You are so right. They were robbed and watching them the other night in Enmore, I'm even more convinced of that.
Post a Comment